The Stubbornness of Doctors
by pisces317
Summary: Hank is injured but he's hiding it from Divya and Evan. Why? Okay, the summary sucks but it's a good fic, I promise. First RP fic! Hank whump inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Stubborn Doctors

**Summary: **Hank is injured but he's hiding it from Divya and Evan. Why? Hank whump.

**Spoilers: **As long as you've seen the first and second season – none.

**Rating: **PG-13

**Characters: **Hank, Evan, Divya. With appearances by Boris, Eddie R., and Jill.

**Pairing: **None – pure friendship

**Disclaimer: **The characters of Royal Pains are not my own; I own nothing. I'm simply borrowing and playing with.

**Author's Notes: **This is my first RP fic and it is un-beta'd so please be gentle. :) Reviews are VERY welcome!

**2: **If anyone wants to offer to be my beta, I would really appreciate it. :)

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><p>Crickets chirped into the night as Hank stormed across Boris' pristine lawn. The anger and betrayal that boiled inside him provided a stark contrast to the cool summer air that swept past his face. His light blue polo did little to block the almost biting wind and he shivered in spite of his rage. Evening dew had long settled on the grass beneath his shoes, squelching loudly as he walked. He stopped when he thought he was far enough away from the guesthouse not to be heard then proceeded to coolly seethe as he waited for the other person to join him.<p>

Eddie R. Lawson strode quickly behind his son, panting heavily as he tried to keep up with the younger man's speed. He knew from the very moment he'd entered the guesthouse that Henry was angry, not only at Eddie himself but at Evan as well, but he hadn't expected to be dragged out into the dead of night to have a conversation that only the two of them could hear. The cold, calm of his son's anger bothered Eddie and, for a moment he was glad that Henry had become a doctor because that knowledge was the only assurance he had that the man wouldn't strangle him to death right where he stood.

"Why are you here?" Hank asked once Eddie had joined him on the spot. The place that he picked was in between the manor and the guesthouse, giving the pair of men enough light to see one another without actually calling attention to either one of them. He was thankful for the semblance of privacy the spot gave him; it helped him relax enough to know that whatever he said, it wouldn't be heard by neither his brother nor Boris.

"I told ya kid. I was in the neighborhood and wanted to check in on my boys," Eddie R. answered with a sleazy smile that he had deemed charming long before Hank was even born. He reached out and clapped a hard hand on Hank's right shoulder and gave it a small squeeze in a fatherly fashion as he talked. It was so good to see his kids again.

Hank stepped backwards, moving slightly up the slope as he went. Of all the people that were allowed to touch him, his father never even mad the top one hundred. Add that to the fact that that particular shoulder was sore from knocking in doors repeatedly and Hank _really _didn't want Eddie R. touching him. He stifled a hiss as his father's hand was wrenched off his body, choosing to cross his arms over his chest instead.

"Yeah, you did and I don't buy it. So why don't you tell me what you're _really _doing here?" he said, defiantly staring at the man before him, daring him to lie to him.

"You know, you're unbelievable," his father declared angrily. He started pacing back and forth before Hank, every so often stopping to gesture wildly. "Ever since I came here, you have been nothing but skeptical of me and I have done nothing but be nice to you. I'm _trying _to show you that I've changed, kid! I'm _trying _to earn your trust back. And who do you think you are that you can tell Evan to be careful around me? Not to trust me? I'm his father!"

At his last accusation, Eddie angrily poked Hank in the chest. The younger man stumbled backwards with the force. The minutest of winces creased his eyes but Eddie wasn't paying attention; he was too busy angrily waiting for an answer.

Hank stepped forward, getting into his father's personal space with ease and stepping out of the hole Eddie had pushed him into. He winced again when he put all of his weight on his left ankle but he hid it beneath his mask of anger.

"_I'm _the one who kept this family together after you left," Hank began. His voice was hard and low as he spoke since he didn't want to draw attention to the both of them. "_I'm _the one who kept Evan in school when all he wanted to do was go look for you. I'm the one who took care of Mom while she was sick. I'm the one who sat by and slowly watched her die. I'm the one who got a job while still in school to help support us. But most importantly, _I'm _the one who took over your role when you _left!_"

Throughout most of his speech, Eddie had the decency to look ashamed and contrite but with Hank's last statement, his hackles rose again and he was back in Hank's face. He pointed his finger into Hank's chest anew, once again knocking him backwards up the slope. "Don't you say that; you could never take my place!"

"You know, you're right," Hank conceded with a wry smile full of mirth. "I could never be as useless as you were."

The two men stared at one another, surrounded by uncomfortable silence and pleasant darkness. In the gleaming of Boris' lights, Hank could see just how much his words had hurt. Normally he didn't like causing someone pain of any kind, but in this instance he felt it was well deserved. His shoulder throbbed in time with his rapidly beating heart and his ankle was sending an annoying sort of buzzing pain through the joint but what was hurting Hank the most was his heart; it ached in a way that made him want to grab his chest in an attempt to soothe the pain away.

The years of abandonment, anger, and pain came rushing back to Hank as he stood looking at the man before him. He almost couldn't believe the gall of his dad, coming in here after so long and just expecting things to be fine. But then again, it didn't entirely surprise him either. His mind wandered around the grounds of where they lived and Hank found that it didn't surprise him at all that Eddie had looked them up.

"Is everything alright, Hank?" Boris' calm voice asked. Hank and Eddie both looked in the direction of the voice, surprised to see the German nobleman standing at the top of the hill. He was flanked by his security team and Dieter, all of whom looked ready to pounce at the command.

Hank looked at Eddie, trying to determine if there was anything more to be said then he looked back up the hill. "Yeah Boris, everything's fine." He looked back at his father, giving the man no doubt in his mind as to what he wanted. Allowing steel to chill his voice, Hank said, "Mr. Lawson was just leaving."

He turned around to walk back to the guesthouse, but Eddie caught his right shoulder as he went and harshly spun him around. Hank did hiss this time as his sore shoulder was pulled on and his aching ankle was forced to pivot without warning.

At the sound of Hank's hiss, Boris' security immediately pulled their hidden weapons and trained them onto Eddie. It wasn't necessary as Eddie had almost instantly let go, withdrawing his hand as thought burned, and was now just staring at his son with apology and hurt in his eyes.

Boris walked down the slope to where the two men were standing, coming to stop only when he and his team were surrounding Hank. He had noticed the two gentlemen from one of the upper balconies of the manor. Not having knowledge of the stranger with his private physician, Boris watched the exchange like a hawk scouting its prey; only when he was sure that something was amiss, did he collect his team and start moving. It appeared that the doctor's estranged father had turned up and Hank was not at all happy to see the man.

Calculating hazel eyes traveled to the left to observe the doctor and, though he would never admit it, he was quite angry to find the man looking injured.

Hank stood between Josef, one of Boris' ex-Mossad trained security officers, and Boris himself. His posture was filled with anger and pain, something that Boris did _not _like to see in his doctor and friend (because yes, he considered Hank a friend) at all; his left hand cradled his right arm against his chest, guarding either the arm or the side, Boris couldn't tell which. His normally even stance looked a little lopsided as though he were slightly favoring one leg over the other. If Boris had to guess he'd say the younger man hand somehow injured his ankle but he wasn't one hundred percent positive of his assessment.

"I suggest that you do as Doctor Lawson has suggested and leave," Boris coolly stated, focusing on the older gentleman before him. The man looked slightly shocked and was staring at his son inquiringly, silently asking if the doctor was alright. It made Boris feel slightly easier to know that he hadn't meant to hurt his son but the fact remained that he did and that wasn't sitting well with the German nobleman at all.

When it looked like the man was about to argue, Boris continued on, his voice leaving no room for discussion, "My security will escort you out and please be advised Mr. Lawson, you are not welcome on this property without Doctor Lawson's specific permission."

As though that were their cue, the security team flanked Eddie, silently herding him towards the exit. Boris and Hank watched until he disappeared up the hill and out of sight then Hank turned to Boris, wincing slightly as he moved.

"I appreciate you stepping in but it really wasn't necessary," he somewhat thanked, somewhat scolded with his hands now by his sides. "He wasn't going to hurt me."

Boris remained silent, immediately noting the younger man's pained posture which he appeared to be trying to hide. He was sure that while the doctor did appear to be hurting, the physical injuries weren't responsible for the pain he saw in the normally gentle hazel eyes. "I believe he already has, has he not?"

Anger flared briefly in Hank's eyes, making him look as though he wanted nothing but to deny the statement, but it was soon replaced by comprehension and defeat. His heart sent out a spike of pain that stabbed through his hurting shoulder and his left hand immediately moved to cradle his right arm once more. He grimaced with the pain but he didn't allow it to remain on his face as he looked at the German.

"You're probably right," he conceded with a nod. He wanted to say so much more but Hank didn't want to appear ungrateful and he wasn't naïve enough to think that Boris didn't have reason to worry; Eddie R. Lawson was a treacherous leach that latched onto the wealthiest thing it could find then tried to suck it dry. Instead of his normal clipped words, Hank merely allowed his gratitude to come through as he said, "Thank you."

"You are quite welcome, Hank," Boris replied. In a rare show of emotion, his eyes softened with his next question. "Are you able to return to the guesthouse unaccompanied?"

Hank smiled as he translated that to, 'Are you alright?' "Yeah," he looked over at the guesthouse which was lit with welcoming light, "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Very well," the older man replied with a nod. He strode away leaving Hank to his own devices, curiously staring after him.

* * *

><p>Hank continued to stand where he was until Boris had also disappeared up the hill. He didn't know why but Hank just felt better knowing that no one was around to watch him limp back to the guesthouse; he felt almost safer. Of course, that safety wouldn't last once he entered the guesthouse but that was another matter entirely.<p>

His progress was slow as he favored his left leg. The ankle didn't hurt too terribly bad but he was trying to protect the limb until he entered the guesthouse because then he would have to act fine. It was probably ridiculous to refuse to admit that he was injured but he didn't want to give Evan a reason to dislike their dad; just because Hank loathed the man didn't meant that Evan ever needed to.

Though he didn't fully approve of his brother's relationship with his father, Hank understood the desire that drove Evan. It drove Hank as well but his inner little boy wasn't quite as eager for his father to come back as Evan's was. Hank's little boy was angry at his dad for abandoning them, him, when they needed him the most. His little boy was both disgusted and furious with his dad for abandoning his mother when _she _needed him the most. But mostly, Hank's inner little boy was just hurt and very unwilling to forgive.

Hank's footsteps changed from uneven to normal once he crossed the patio and he could tell that Evan, who had his back to the door as he cooked, thought it was Eddie R. coming back. His brother's head perked up at the sounds of his entering and it broke his heart to know that he would be causing that same look of disappointment on his brother's face.

"Hey Dad, so–" Evan stopped in mid sentence as he stared at his brother. Shock and disappointment were the first things to register on his face before anger quickly covered them. "Where's Eddie R.?" he asked lightly, managing to sound as though he didn't already know the reason why the man hadn't come back.

"He had to leave," Hank answered stepping fully into the guesthouse and sitting down at the table under the pretense of having work to do. Behind the screen he let out an almost silent sigh as he was able to sit down. Forcing the weakened joint to take his full weight probably hadn't been the smartest idea and it was letting him know that.

"He had to leave," Evan repeated dryly. "Funny how that need suddenly arose after you requested to speak to him privately, don't you think?" He paused, waiting for an answer that he knew would never come. Behind him, the pasta water boiled, splashing little droplets of water over the stove. He took a moment to add said pasta before he turned his attention back to his brother. Evan's eyes widened when he thought he'd come to a conclusion, "Oh my God, you didn't punch him again did you?"

"What? No, of course not," Hank defended not even a little insulted since he had already done that. "Boris spotted us talking and requested that he leave, alright?"

"Boris wouldn't have intervened if he didn't think something was wrong to begin with," Evan argued, stubbornly refusing to let the subject drop.

Hank peered over the computer screen at the man in the kitchen, his eyes showing exactly what he thought of that statement. "Or, he knows who Eddie R. really is and didn't want him around."

Evan had to agree, that made sense. But the feeling that something else was going on wouldn't leave him alone. Across from him, Henry sighed and massaged his right bicep and Evan's resolve to be angry at his brother for obviously chasing their father away faded as though it had been snow falling on the warm ground.

"Is your shoulder still hurting?" he asked, unable to cover the concern in his voice. Evan had been there earlier in the day when Hank had used his right shoulder to bust through two locked wooden doors to get to his patient who lay unconscious on the other side. It turned out that the patient had simply fainted as a complication of their condition but Evan had watched worriedly as his brother continued to favor the arm throughout the day.

He watched for a moment as Hank's hand continued its massage before he turned around to pay attention to the food. It appeared as though the events of the day were finally catching up to Hank and the shoulder was letting him know it wasn't happy about the abuse it had taken.

"Yeah," Hank answered with a grimace as he leaned forward to respond to an email. Any use of the shoulder was currently a bad idea but as it was Divya alerting him that she would be stopping by after she visited their first patient of the day, he felt he should answer her. He smiled at her ability to make it sound like she just really loved her job when she was actually trying to take care of him. Apparently Divya had also heard about his little strong man stunt earlier and was now making sure that he was able to get some extra rest before the start of his day.

"You should take some Ibuprofen or something, dude," Evan stated, watching his brother in barely concealed unease. Not having gotten a medical degree, he was never sure what to do when Hank, or anyone for that matter, was injured and this situation was no different. He drained the linguine, still watching his brother at the table, and added the sauce to it.

The sound of the lid to the laptop shutting echoed through the main floor and Hank carefully leaned back against the chair in a tired slouch. He closed his eyes, trying to decide what he really wanted to do before he opened them to find Evan watching him closely. Offering a small assuring smile, Hank answered, "No, thanks, I'll be fine. I think I'm just going to go to bed."

"Yeah, makes sense, busy day tomorrow and all that," Evan chatted absently. "You sure you don't want to eat first?" he called as Hank proceeded to walk away.

"Good night Evan," Hank said with enough finality in his tone that even Evan knew it was pointless to argue.

He watched Hank go upstairs with increasing worry; something was off about Hank's gait, he just couldn't see what it was. It annoyed him to no end that his brother refused to admit when he was in pain and it often made caring for the man much harder. Deciding that it was best to let Hank get some rest, Evan kept his mouth shut and settled in for a good flick and some tomato linguine.

There'd be time for questions in the morning when his brother would, hopefully, be in a better mood.

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><p>Hank awoke to the sun beginning to shine through his window, a stiff shoulder, and a phone ringing off the hook. Although he wasn't sure exactly what time it was, he was sure that it was too early for him to be called.<p>

"Hello," he answered groggily, wincing when he had to stretch his shoulder. He had to stifle a groan when he looked over at the clock and saw that it was barely a quarter after six in the morning.

"Hey Hank," Jill greeted hurriedly. "I'm sorry, I know it's early but there was a huge accident in town. All of the injured are being delivered to Hamptons Heritage and I was wondering if you and Divya could lend a helping hand. We could really use a couple of competent doctors and I would sure appreciate it."

The intercom screeched over the phone yelling about emergency assistance needed in the ER and Hank winced. He really didn't want to do much today but he knew he wouldn't refuse the request. As a doctor is was nearly impossible to refuse help in a crisis and as it was Jill asking, it was even harder.

"Yeah, we'll be there," he answered tiredly. Remembering Divya's email, he quickly amended his statement, "Well, um, Divya actually has an appointment this morning with a patient but I can have her stop by afterwards."

"Great!" The relief in Jill's voice was palpable and Hank was glad that he could help. "So I'll see you in, what, twenty minutes?"

"Give or take, yeah," Hank granted, thinking that if he hurried he could maybe make that. Normally he didn't have such trouble getting up and getting ready but he knew the sore stiffness in his shoulder and the steadily growing ache in his ankle would hinder his agility.

"Okay," Jill said, not having heard the doubt in his voice, "see you then."

She hung up before another word could be said. He didn't blame her really; things had been awkward between the pair of them lately. While they'd both agreed that they should slow things down then eventually stop altogether, their hearts didn't seem to want to listen. It had hurt when she'd called it off officially, it still did at times, and it made working together that much harder for him. Still, he was a professional and this wasn't his first office romance. He could handle it; he had to.

Before he set his phone down, Hank sent Divya a text, letting her know that HH needed their help and to go there after she was done with the patient. After his phone blinked that the message was sent he set his phone back onto the bedside table. A deep throb pounded through his shoulder with the movement drawing a hiss from hissed groan throat.

Hank sat up to begin his day, slightly coddling his hurting arm as he went, all the while thinking things couldn't get worse from here. Oh, if only he could have known just how wrong he was.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

**I apologize for taking so long into getting this out! I tried to get it out sooner, I really did but it refused to move. I hope it was worth the wait. **

**All mistakes are mine; I've literally just finished writing it. **

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><p>By the time Hank was able to leave the hospital, he could barely move his arm without pain stabbing the shoulder; he'd done his best to ignore the bruised limb while he'd been seeing patients and triaging injuries but now that he was able to breathe, he couldn't think of anything but the pain. It wasn't just his shoulder either – his ankle was doing its own fair share of complaining. The faint annoying buzz of pain from last night was now a sharp throb with every beat of his heart.<p>

Summer wind whipped around his face as he drove back home. The previously brightening sky had darkened considerably since the brief break he'd had around ten am. What was once a partly cloudy blue sky filled with warming sun was now threateningly dark; multiple clouds hovered encroachingly together and small bouts of thunder could be heard in the far distance. It looked to be time for a summer storm and Hank could only pray that the weather held enough for him to get back to the guesthouse before it hit.

His green SAAB pulled into the stone driveway just as the thunder boomed again and an ominous couple of raindrops splattered his windshield. Despite his shoulder, Hank wasted no time in putting up the top to the car in order to protect the interior. He looked around as more rain pelted him and decided to leave his medial bag in the car; the products inside it didn't need to get wet and it would more than likely start to rain harder long before he actually reached the guesthouse.

Almost as if it sensed his thoughts, the rain began coming down harder. Hank quickly closed the door to his car, trying to keep as little rain on the interior as possible, and began walking towards the house, where he knew Evan would be waiting.

Evan had never been one for rainstorms. They no longer scared him like they did when he was a kid but he still preferred to stay inside when one occurred. He usually used this time to go bake-crazy. He'd bake breads, cakes, brownies, cookies and even a pie or two. Hank only hoped that Divya was there as well, otherwise that food would be eaten entirely by Evan and Hank would have to deal with him complaining about a stomachache for the rest of the night.

The grass squelched and squished under his shoes which, thanks to the water, kept losing traction. Just as Hank reached the top of the last hill, the steady falling rain changed to torrential, hiding the elaborate cottage within it. He wasn't worried about it as he knew where he was going but he still took his time getting down the hill, just in case.

No matter how slowly he went, however, it seemed it wasn't slow enough. A little over halfway down the hill the traction of his right shoe slipped, quickly twisting his left ankle. Hank's cry of pain was drowned in the pounding of the rain, a fact for which he was grateful since he didn't want to alert his brother to the fact that something was wrong.

Evan may not be a doctor but he isn't an idiot either. He would know that something had happened previously to Hank rolling down the hill and he would question his brother about it endlessly.

Once he'd stopped rolling, Hank didn't waste any time in getting off the ground. The trip down the hill hadn't been that long, thankfully, so other than his now intensely throbbing ankle and his still painful shoulder, he was unscathed. The fall had helped angle him so that he was very close to the front door of the guesthouse rather than the back, which was bound to be locked up tight against the storm.

With less ease than he would have liked, Hank slowly got off the ground, leaning against a nearby tree for support until he knew he could stand on his own. He gingerly lowered the leg, testing the ankle for strength and pain, before he quickly retracted it. The pain, great though it was, wasn't as bad as it could have been. Still, that didn't mean that walking to the house was going to be easy.

His limp was considerable as he slowly and steadily made his way over to the door. As much as his pride yelled at him to, there wasn't any way for Hank to hide his injury from Evan this time. The thought of Evan's over-mothering almost made Hank consider going back to his car and sitting in there but his ankle wouldn't be able to handle the trip and he would still be injured after the storm cleared so there wasn't much point.

When Hank walked inside the guesthouse it was to find Evan and Divya on the couch watching some old movie. Both of them were curled up under a blanket with a bowl of popcorn in between them. Hank limped further inside and quietly closed the door, secretly hoping that neither one would notice his entrance.

"It's about time you made it," Evan teased while keeping his focus on the TV. "I expected you home almost an hour ago."

"Sorry to thwart your timetable," Hank returned while doing his best to silently limp-hop over to the stairs. "What did I miss?"

"Evan decided that we should watch The Sound of Music because of the thunderstorm in it," Divya replied in her normal way when she thought the idea was idiotic to say the least. Unlike Evan, her attention wasn't glued to the TV so she had no qualms about looking away and at Hank. Her well manicured eyebrows drew together to meet in the middle of her face as she took in his precarious stance and drenched form.

"Are you alright Hank?" she asked with concern in her voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Hank lied easily with a smile on his face. The lie was not believed however and Divya simply offered him her best "Doctor" look. "It's nothing; I injured my ankle falling down the hill just now," he tried again.

"There's more though," Evan said before Divya had a chance to go into Doctor-Mode. Her question about Hank's health had helped to divert his attention from the TV to his brother and it finally clicked what was off with Hank's gait last night. "You were limping last night, after your talk with Dad."

"I wasn't limping," Hank argued with a laughing smile that he often gave when he was uncomfortable.

"No, you were trying not to limp," Evan corrected, unsatisfied. He didn't understand why his brother was refusing to admit that he was hurt. It wasn't that it wasn't unlike Hank to do that but he usually fessed up once he'd been caught. This time he was still trying to deny that anything was wrong though both Evan and Divya could obviously see that something was.

"What are you talking about?" Divya asked, sensing that something was going on that she didn't know about. She didn't consider herself a busybody by any means and therefore tried to stay out of other people's business but sometimes, with the Lawson brothers for example, it was best to be in the middle so one knew exactly what was going on rather than trying to guess. One liked to over exaggerate so that you never knew what was the truth and what was a lie and the other liked to under exaggerate so that you didn't really know anything at all.

"Last night, Henry took our father out for a private chat," Evan began with no little amount of annoyance in his voice. "When he came back inside, he went straight to bed."

"That sounds fairly normal," Divya conceded confusedly.

"That's not what was odd," Evan retorted giving a look towards his friend. "What was odd was Henry's gait was off, I just couldn't figure out how."

"And you think his gait was off because he was trying not to limp?" Divya concluded slowly, drawing out every word so Evan could hear how ridiculous she thought he sounded.

"Yes," Evan answered definitively with a finger point in Divya's direction.

"This is ridiculous," Hank interjected, hoping to throw his brother off his very on-point trail. "I was fine last night, okay? And I'll be fine today after a shower."

He started to limp his way towards the stairs, inwardly dreading the climb he had ahead of him but refusing to show it to his friends. Despite his best efforts, the limp was quite pronounced and soon he had the attention of both Divya and Evan fully on himself.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Divya inquired in such an overcaring tone that it made Hank flinch a little. "Maybe I should take a loot at your ankle before you go upstairs."

"Thanks Divya but it can wait," Hank gently declined. "After I have had a shower and some dry clothes then you can examine me."

Evan's face went blank for a second before he shook his head, "Okay, that sounded wrong."

Both Divya and Hank rolled their eyes.

"You know what I meant Evan," Hank replied, a smile beginning to quirk the corners of his mouth. He held up a hand when Evan opened his mouth to say something else, "Evan, shower first, please? Then you can bug me all you want." He paused then added, "Within reason."

"Spoil sport," Evan pouted but allowed him to leave nonetheless.

The trip up the stairs was hard and very painful. But, he made it and that was all Hank cared about. He limp-hoped to the bathroom, stopping briefly in his own room for a change of clothes before he went, then shut the door behind him. He turned on the water and allowed it to warm up as he slowly and stiffly disrobed.

His shoulder cried whenever he moved it but it was nothing in comparison to the sharp, piercing wail his ankle seemed to be doing whenever it was jostled. Briefly, he examined both injuries to make sure neither was really too bad. He winced when he saw the deep bruising around his shoulder, snaking over to his collar bone like a forbidden lover. The ankle was swollen with a pretty spectacular bruise beginning to form over the outer portion, spreading down to his toes.

Hank rested on top of the toilet for a bit, relieved to finally be sitting. Steam began to circle around the room, wrapping around him in a cocoon of condensation and heat. Deciding that it was best to get up before he fell asleep, Hank opened his eyes and slowly made his way over to the bathtub. His first step wasn't a success as his ankle had decided to collapse and roll under his weight but eventually he got it to hold him up and leaned against the wall while he tested the heat of the water.

After adjusting the water to a slightly cooler temperature, Hank put the stopper in the tub and crawled in. He'd told Divya and Evan that he was going to take a shower but after getting up the stairs he could tell that his ankle, and body, had very little strength left in it so he concluded that a bath would make more sense.

Carefully, Hank crawled into the classic bathtub and relaxed against it. The heat from the water felt magnificent to his tired and aching body. While he sat, the water lapped against his skin like an ocean wave beckoning to be allowed to join him. He smiled as he closed his eyes, willing the image of being on a warm beach to come to his mind while the water filled.

The chill from the storm soon fled his body, giving way to the heat of the water and the steam in the room. With his eyes closed, Hank's mind wandered to other things. It started with the events of the hospital then swiftly changed over to the topic of his father. He went over everything that had been said and done the night before and for once pondered on why Boris had interfered.

Sure, Eddie could be a threat to the billionaire but for some reason, Hank had the feeling that there was more to it than that. Boris' stance in front of Hank as he blocked Eddie from him was one of protection; Hank would know, he'd often used the same stance when he and Evan were growing up, defending his brother from bullies that seemed to think they could pick on whomever they wanted.

It seemed odd that Boris would try to protect Hank, even if it was only from his lecherous father. The both of them had had quite the year, fighting over what was to be shared and what wasn't; what was relevant and what wasn't; and exactly how much of a role in Boris' life Hank played. By the end of the year, Hank thought he could feel a friendship beginning to bloom between them but he never thought it had progressed to where Boris would bodily try to protect him from harm.

A pair of green eyes staring at him worriedly flashed in his mind's eye and Hank opened his eyes in surprise. His memories rewound as though they were on a video tape rather than in his mind. He saw Boris practically pounce when Eddie had grabbed and spun him. He saw Boris come to stand in front of him, briefly blocking his Eddie's look of concern and inquiry from view. He saw them both watch as Eddie was escorted off the grounds then he watched as they conversed with each other.

That was when he saw the worry in Boris' eyes as he inquired after Hank's health. Boris had been worried about him? Really?

Hank guessed that it wasn't that surprising given how worried he often was about Boris but he still hadn't expected the feeling to be returned at any time. Usually whenever Boris did something it was out of self preservation as well as for the good of the person he helped. And though this time it appeared that Boris had helped to keep the snake that was Eddie away from him and his land, it also seemed that his main reason for acting was out of concern.

By the time Hank's mind had finished wrapping itself around that concept, the water in the tub had gone cold. Hank shivered as his nerves alerted his brain and began to climb out of the water. The process was interesting to say the least but he finally managed to get out and dressed while simply sitting on the toilet.

He'd apparently taken too long for Evan for as soon as he'd finished slipping a tee shirt on, there was a knock on the door.

"Henry, you alright in there?" Evan's semi-worried voice called through the door.

"Yeah Ev, I'm fine," Hank assured his brother with an indulgent smile. He rolled his eyes when he heard his brother hesitate at the door, obviously wondering if he should go in and check on Hank or if he should just leave. Evan really was a mother hen, wasn't he?

"Er, Divya wants to know if you were alright to come back downstairs or if she should come up to you?"

Hank thought he heard Divya arguing that it was in fact Evan who wondered that but between being up an entire floor and the door, he couldn't tell for sure. Still, he pondered the question seriously for a moment. Though he didn't relish going down to watch a stupid musical, he knew that getting down the stairs would be a lot easier than getting up them and he did like the idea of being cuddled on the couch with Evan's fabulous cooking all while being surrounded by friends and family.

"I'll be fine downstairs," he answered when he heard Evan place a hand on the door.

"Okay," Evan replied through his teeth while he, Hank was sure, chewed on his bottom lip. "Do you need any help getting down there?"

Hank laughed, "Ev, I'm fine. When did you become such a mother hen?"

"Well excuse me for being concerned that my brother is injured and is hell bent on hiding it," Evan retorted sounding miffed but not necessarily angry.

Deciding it was best to actually get out of the bathroom to get Evan to leave, Hank wearily stood and heavily limped over to the door. He came out to find Evan with his hands on his hips and staring determinedly at Hank. What he was determined about, Hank had yet to discover. A frown crossed Evan's face when he saw how badly Hank was limping and there it seemed destined to stay.

"I'm not hiding anything, Evan," Hank replied, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. It seemed that Evan wasn't going to let him pass until he'd had his say. "I'm even going to let Divya examine my ankle just to satisfy you."

Evan's blue eyes narrowed so that Hank could barely see the brilliant shade. "Fine, but don't think I'm dropping this Henry."

He moved aside to allow Hank to pass him then came up to the injured left side. Silently, he threw Hanks arm over his shoulder and helped make it easier for Hank to limp around. Knowing that it helped ease Evan's rapid mind to help, Hank allowed his arm to be taken and the help to be given. When they got to the stairs, however, he disentangled himself from his brother.

"Ev, I think it would be easier to get down the stairs without you attached to me," he explained when his brother gave him a miffed and confused look. The miffed look remained, slowly evolving into one of offence, but the confusion dissipated. "Don't worry, I'll be fine while on the stairs," Hank quickly inserted, hoping to appease his brother and friend, "but I'll need your help once I get to the main floor."

"So, I should go down first then?" Evan concluded, allowing Hank to sooth his pride.

"Yeah."

Hank watched as Evan reluctantly went down the stairs then proceeded to impatiently wait for him to follow before he slowly started making his way down. Thankfully the wall was close to the banister so he was able to use both as a pair of crutches of sorts and the trip was short.

Evan was by his side before his right foot had even had a chance of touching the ground and had him on the couch with a couple of pillows behind his back and another one under his now elevated ankle.

"Really Evan, this isn't necessary," he objected, not liking being coddled. He rolled his eyes when Evan proceeded to ignore him in favor of grabbing a pack of frozen vegetables to place on his ankle. "Where's Divya?"

"Getting her medical bag," Evan casually replied. He applied the 'ice pack' to Hank's ankle then sat down, as far away from Hank as he could get.

Hank chuckled at how far Evan was sitting; the man was quirky about people when they were sick or injured, that was for sure. Early on, when their mom got sick, Hank discovered one of Evan's fears; it was the fear of making a sick person worse or causing an injured person more pain. It was actually a wonder that Evan went with Divya to visit patients given this fear, really, but Hank supposed it was to drum up some clientele rather than to help.

Thirty seconds later Divya returned from the upstairs holding onto what actually looked like some of Hank's back-up medical supplies. Hanks eyebrows furrowed. When had Divya gone upstairs? He didn't remember her coming up and he knew that she hadn't passed him while he was going back down. But then again, he was in the bathroom a long time, maybe she'd gone up while Evan had been trying to get him out?

Divya smirked when she saw Hank all fluffed and tucked in. "Quite comfortable are you?" she teased knowing that Hank hated it.

"Does he need something else?" Evan asked, his unnecessary worry coming to the fore.

"No, Evan, he's fine," Divya replied with an eye roll and touch of impatience in her voice. "I'm just going to take a look at his ankle then we can continue the movie."

"Or we could put in an entirely different movie altogether," Hank offered, trying to keep his attention away from his physician assistant and what she was doing. He was no stranger to giving someone a hug when they wanted or needed it but he still found it odd be examined like a patient by not only a coworker but a friend.

Divya's touch was gentle as she poked, prodded and manipulated his injured ankle. Still, Hank couldn't help the hisses of pain that escaped through his lips and the deep groan that echoed through his chest when she'd bent the joint in a very painful way. He offered her a look of apology when Evan began pacing nervously behind her, demanding to know what she knew and how everything looked.

"Evan, will you sit down and shut up please?" Divya finally snapped, her patience long gone. She understood being concerned for a brother when he was hurt but she thought that Evan's constant mothering was going a bit far. Hank was, for all intents and purposes, fine; he would be on crutches for a while and be in pain but otherwise, he was fine.

Like a dog who had been told to sit by its master, Evan sat down on the nearest portion of the couch he could find. It so happened to be the part closest to Hank's right and after briefly brushing against his brother's shoulder, Evan moved over so that he was once again as far away as he could get.

Divya noticed the interaction and her brows furrowed, "Evan, why are you sitting as far away from Hank as you can get?"

"What? I am not," Evan argued though everyone knew he was.

"Evan's afraid of hurting an injured person worse," Hank supplied with a smile, enjoying his brother's embarrassment for a bit. However, his answer had the reverse effect that he had intended for it drew Divya's notice to something that she hadn't known about before.

"Why would sitting on your right side hurt you more?" she asked, her intelligent brain working almost over time.

Hank blushed and Evan looked at him in triumph, answering for him, "He hurt his shoulder yesterday trying to be a macho man."

Again Divya's brows furrowed in concern as she walked over to Hank's right and sat on the couch. "Hurt it how?"

"It's just bruised," Hank answered as she helped to slip his arm out of the sleeve. He winced when his shoulder grumbled, his mouth open in a silent cry of pain, and she gave him an apologetic look.

Gently as she could, she inspected the bruise, checking for tenderness and signs of other damage. Unable to stop himself, Hank gave a quick cry when she pressed on a particularly tender area causing her to still her movements.

"Sorry," she said, genuinely meaning it. She sighed, "Well, your shoulder is pretty badly bruised. Evan would get an ice pack for it?"

While she waited for Evan to grab the pack, Divya helped Hank put his shirt back on. "Did I see a small fingerprint shaped bruise on your chest?" she whispered into his ear, obviously not wanting Evan to hear it.

"It's nothing," Hank dismissed giving her her answer without actually answering.

"Hank," she began, obviously not wanting to let the subject go.

"It's fine Divya. It's nothing," Hank reasserted, not harshly but definitively.

Evan came back and handed the 'ice pack' to Divya who gently laid it upon Hank's shoulder. Without bothering to inform either man or asking if it was necessary, she pulled out some gauze and began wrapping it around the ice to hold it in place.

"How's his ankle?" Evan asked as she moved down to begin wrapping it.

"It's a medium sprain," Divya informed while she began doing her job. "He'll need to stay off it for a couple of weeks and keep it elevated as much as possible but he'll be fine." Throughout her speech, she looked meaningfully at Hank as though demanding that he pay attention to her orders. Hank merely shrugged not willing to give her a promise he couldn't keep. "But," she began and Hank didn't like the sound of it, "this level of injury doesn't happen with a small spill down the hill."

"What do you mean?" Evan asked, sensing that there was something she was telling him without actually saying it.

"I mean that – and I can't believe I'm about to admit this but – you were right; Hank was injured last night and he was trying to hide it."

"I knew it!" Evan chanted as though he'd won some sort of bet. As quickly as the excitement came, though, it had left and was now replaced with suspicion and intelligence. Hank laid his head back against the back of the couch, closing his eyes and not wanting to have the conversation that was about to follow.

"What happened when you were out with dad?" Evan asked, eyeing his brother with a look that dared the older man to lie to him.

"Ev," Hank began but couldn't think of anything to say afterwards since anything else would be a lie. Thankfully he was saved from having to try and come up with something by his brother holding up his hand in a silence manner.

"Did Eddie R. do this?" Evan asked and Hank though he could see Evan's blood begin to boil at the idea. Evan may have idolized his father when he was a kid, and probably still did, but they both knew that when it came to the other getting hurt, no one was allowed to do it.

Hank straightened, willing the truth to come out in his voice. "No," he answered and for the most part it was true. Eddie had intentionally hurt Hank, he probably wasn't even aware that he had hurt him.

"So it's a coincidence that you leave to talk with dad perfectly healthy and you come back limping?"

"I stepped in a hole while walking back," Hank lied. It appalled him how easily the lie had come but it was important. He didn't want what Evan had with their dad ruined by him, by a measly little sprain; it was ridiculous. Now, if Eddie had outright tried to beat or attack him, that would be a different story.

"That still doesn't explain why you were hiding the injury," Divya said, making Hank throw her a glare. She was supposed to be smart! Why wasn't she trying to get him out of this?

"It wasn't a big deal," Hank argued, using his hands for emphasis. "It wasn't that bad last night and I obviously could get through the day so it wasn't that bad today either." He turned to look at his brother, hoping beyond hope that this would work. "Ev, you know me. I don't like sitting still and if I had told you that I'd twisted my ankle last night what would you have done?"

"Made you stay off your leg as much as possible," Evan supplied slowly, almost unwillingly.

"Which would have been unnecessary," Hank added for emphasis.

Divya watched the two men talk through the situation, knowing that Hank was lying to his brother. She knew that their father had done _something _she just wasn't sure as to what. She'd seen the finger-shaped bruise on Hank's chest; she knew that Eddie had probably been poking his son hard and several times which led her to believe that he'd gotten more physical after that. She had no doubt that Edward Lawson had somehow caused the first ankle injury thus resulting in the worse second one but she didn't know how. Not yet.

"Fine," Evan conceded but whether or not he'd actually given up neither Divya nor Hank knew. "I'll get some food going, you guys pick a movie."

When Evan returned to the kitchen, Divya leaned over and whispered into Hank's ear, "Don't think that I don't know that you're lying Doctor Lawson. We will speak when Evan's not around."

_Great, looking forward to it, _Hank thought as Evan re-entered the living room. He really didn't want to discuss it with Divya but he knew he wouldn't be able to escape her so he resigned himself to the conversation and watched the movie, anxiously waiting for when Evan would go to bed.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

The day past relatively quickly for Hank and co. Despite the storm that raged outside, the three were happily tucked away on the living room couch, watching some random movie that one of them had pulled out and had spent the evening munching on whatever Evan had provided. As Hank had known they would, the baked goods had bombarded them within an hour of Hank getting settled on the couch. There weren't as many as there could have been, thankfully, but there were still enough to constitute too much in Hank's opinion.

About ten o'clock, Evan fell asleep on the couch, his head lolling to his right and leaning on Divya who sat between him and Hank. His snores rent through the air like a foghorn sounding in warning making Hank and Divya chuckle then roll their eyes.

"I suppose we should wake him up," Divya stated looking sideways at Evan.

"Nah, he'll be fine there," Hank returned. Evan sometimes made a habit of sleeping on the couch so Hank knew that, while it would be murder on Hank's back, Evan would in fact be fine.

"Well I won't," Divya objected, almost pouting a little. "Besides, you and I need to have a chat, remember?"

Yes, in fact Hank _did _remember he was just hoping beyond hope that _Divya _had forgotten. He really didn't understand why she was making such a big fuss out of nothing. But then again, if the situation was reversed, he would have reacted much worse than she had and been a lot more demanding than she was.

If there's one thing in this world that Hank doesn't tolerate, it's people hurting his friends and family. Divya was not only a coworker and friend to Hank but she was also like the little sister he never had. If he _ever _found out someone was hurting her, physically or otherwise, there wasn't a force on this earth that could stop him from protecting and helping her. The same was said for Evan as well. Though he was actually family, Hank considered him one of his best friends, always had. And even though he and Boris weren't really close, Hank did consider him a friend and would protect him and be loyal to him until he died. That was just how Hank was.

"No, I didn't forget," Hank finally answered after about five minutes' silence.

"But you were hoping I had," Divya filled in with a roll of her dark eyes. She turned her head and shrugged her shoulder so violently that it made Evan fall off her and land on the open space of the couch.

Hank leaned around Divya so he could stare at the still sleeping Evan then he looked at Divya, "I don't think that worked."

"Yes, I can see that," she replied sounding annoyed but with a slight smile in her voice. She reached out a hand, "Evan," she called as she shook him.

"Hm, go away Hank, it's not time for school," Evan replied sleepily, swatting Divya's hand away.

"Evan I am not your brother," she stated firmly, still shaking him.

"Divs?" Evan returned, looking at her through barely open eyes.

"Yes, Evan. Get up. It's time for bed."

"Ugh, can't I just sleep here? I mean, I'm already comfy and everything?" Evan complained, doing his best to go back to sleep.

"No, you can't just sleep here. For one thing I don't think it would be too comfortable and for another I'm going to have Hank sleep here."

Hank threw his PA a sharp look. She hadn't mentioned making him sleep on the couch earlier. If he'd known that he would have stayed upstairs so he could have slept in his soft bed. When she slightly shook her head, while not looking at him, he realized that she didn't actually intend on making him sleep on the couch; she'd just said that to hopefully make Evan more willing to go upstairs to his own room.

"Why does Hank need to sleep here?" Evan grumbled. "He has a bed upstairs that he can sleep in." He yawned then added, "Besides, sleeping on the couch makes his back hurt."

Divya quickly looked at Hank, not only for confirmation that it wasn't good for him to sleep on the couch but also for help in getting Evan up and to his own bed.

"I'll be fine for one night buddy," Hank cooed to his brother. "Besides," he added, dreading what he was about to say, "I don't think I could get up those stairs tonight anyways."

At his small admission, Evan's eyes flew open. At first he shut them closed just as quickly as when he'd opened them but eventually his eyes adjusted to the bright light of the fire and a couple of lamps that were on and he stared at Hank.

Bright blue eyes roamed from where Hank's right arm rested on his lap; for anyone else the position could have been natural but Evan knew that Hank tended to leave his arms on the couch or more spread out on his lap. Hank saw realization dawn on his younger brother as he continued to stare at the almost protective way he held his arm against his torso. Evan's eyebrows wrinkled as though he were confused then he seemed to remember that Hank was injured and that was when he slowly sat up with the widest yawn Hank had ever seen a human release.

"Fine," he grumpily granted. "But don't come to me tomorrow when you can't move because your back hurts too much."

"Fair enough," Hank agreed with a smile, watching as his brother slowly ascended the stairs.

Divya and Hank waited until they heard Evan's bedroom door close, very loudly at that, before they began talking.

"Sorry about that," Hank apologized for his stubborn brother.

"I didn't know that sleeping on the couch hurt your back," Divya commented, completely ignoring Hank's apology. The curiosity in her voice made Hank smile rather than go on the defensive like he would have if she'd been concerned.

"Yeah, it's one of the reasons I don't sleep on couches. That and, they're uncomfortable."

Divya chuckled at his small joke. She scooted away from him, pulling her legs fully onto the couch so that she sat cross-legged on the expensive material. The intensity of her gaze made Hank nervous but since he didn't have anything to say, he decided to wait until she spoke first.

It didn't take long before Divya broke the silence.

"What happened when you went to speak with your father?" she asked.

The curiosity from earlier was still present but it was now being squished by concern and determination. Hank was never one to back down from emotional conversations, being a doctor he really couldn't most of the time, so this wasn't the first time that he and Divya had talked about something important and personal. However, it was the first time that the topic concerned _him _and that made Hank uncomfortable.

He pivoted a little on the couch, carefully lowering his left leg to the ground so that he could face her. She frowned because he was no longer elevating his ankle but she didn't comment on it, preferring to wait for him to speak.

"It really was nothing," Hank tried to coo, not really wanting to discuss this.

"I don't buy it," Divya countered evenly. Her hands, which had been supporting her chin, now went to her lap so that she could lean slightly forward. "I know that something happened Hank. Now, I won't tell Evan of it but I do want to know what it was."

"It's not medically relevant," Hank stubbornly argued.

"I never thought it was," Divya inserted gently. "But it is relevant to both you _and _Evan. I care about both of you, Hank, and I don't like it when not only is something going on between the two of you that I don't know about but one of you is hurt because of it."

When Hank opened his mouth to argue, she stopped him by continuing, "And I don't just mean your injuries, either. I know that they are trivial to you but don't you think that it hurts Evan that you and your father can't get along? I know he's upset that you were hiding that you were injured from him. And I don't doubt that you yourself are more than a little hurt by your father's sudden appearance."

"Yeah, I am," Hank granted knowing he wasn't able to deny it.

"Okay," Divya said as though they'd gotten somewhere though Hank couldn't see where. "I can, on some level, understand the hurt but I don't like it. You seem to think that you alone must bear the weight of your past and I'm sure that for the longest time that was true. But it's not now. Let me help."

Hank opened his mouth, about to tell Divya that he didn't want her to have to do that but under the light of her sincere stare, he found he couldn't. He grimaced when pain shot through his ankle from the blood rushing back to the joint and through some silent understanding, Divya moved to his right side so that he could still face her but continue to keep his leg elevated onto the coffee table.

Then he told her everything. He told her about his and Evan's childhood, doing his best to keep everything objective to a point. He told her of when their mother got sick and their father just left. He told her of how _he _had to become the parent in the house because his mother was too sick and Evan needed him to be. He tried to keep the pain of his mother's passing out of his voice, out of his heart, but he knew the second tears had begun to well in his eyes that he'd lost that battle and so had Divya. She sat in front of him silently crying for him, and probably also for Evan.

The tears didn't last long on either side because then Hank had started talking about what had happened last night. The same feelings of suspicion and betrayal, and yes pain, reemerged in Hank's chest, making it almost too hard to breathe. Each inhale was torture to his lungs and he felt a sharp pain stab through it every time.

When he looked at Divya, he could tell she was angry at his father as well. Whether it was for what he'd done to them as kids, for just showing up and springing everything on Hank, or for (unintentionally) hurting Hank, the doctor didn't know. But, he soon found, neither did he care. He was somewhat relieved to see Divya expression her emotions and the fact that they practically mirrored Hank's made him a little more at ease about telling her everything; he could tell that he did indeed have someone who could help shoulder the load and the relief he felt made his chest ache a lot less.

"Remind me to thank Boris the next time I see him," Divya replied once he was finished. The anger in her eyes told Hank that had she been there, she would have decked Eddie. He smiled, appreciating the sentiment.

"That's not necessary," he answered with a gentle pat on her hand. "I'm sure he did it to protect his estate and affairs. Somehow, I think he knows Eddie R. exactly as I do."

"Well, I'm sure that he did his research when he invited you to stay on his estate," Divya reasoned. "Besides, I'm sure that it was not _all _for self preservation. If that was true, I highly doubt he and his security would have surrounded you."

Hank opened his mouth to argue but found that it fell flat because he had come to the same conclusion as well. Still, it felt wrong to assume that Boris actually cared about him as a friend. It felt not only wrong but self important and that was something Hank never had been.

The fire crackled in the hearth, providing the only sound in the house as they simply stared off into space, surrounded by their thoughts.

"Well," Divya spoke at last, "I believe it's time we go to bed. Do you want me to grab you a pair of crutches or do you want to take your chances with the couch?"

Hank rotated his shoulder, wincing when the pain of a bruise shot through the joint. It was still tender to move but it would hold him long enough for him to get upstairs.

"The crutches," he answered, preferring an even sorer shoulder to the painful back he'd have if he remained where he was.

The PA nodded and went to one of the closets where they kept their bigger medical supplies stocked. She unwrapped the crutches then adjusted them to fit Hank's height before she handed them over to her friend.

Hank slowly eased off the couch, hopping slightly to keep his balance, then grabbed the crutches. For a moment they both simply stood there while Hank adjusted, neither one saying a word.

"How's your ankle feeling?" Divya asked when they started moving towards the stairs.

They both knew it was her way of asking if he was in pain and needed something for it but he pretended to take it at face value.

"It's better; the wrapping and elevation helped," he answered. The stairs felt much harder to get up with the crutches but there was considerably less pain so he wasn't going to complain. Beside him, Divya chose to remain silent while they ascended the stairs, allowing him to focus on breathing and getting up the stairs without falling.

When they reached the landing for the second floor, she finally asked, "How's your pain? Do you need some Tylenol or another ice pack before I go to bed?"

By some unspoken agreement, it seemed that she was going to escort Hank to his room to make sure he was comfortable before she went to sleep. The two walked into the room and Divya waited off to the side while she allowed Hank time to get settled on his bed. He decided that trying to get in between the sheets was too much work so he simply collapsed on top of the bedcovers.

"I'm fine Divya," he answered with a tired smile. "Go get some rest. I get the feeling that you'll have a busy couple of weeks ahead of you."

"As long as you do what you're told then, yes, I will," Divya replied in a scolded warning.

"I will do my best," Hank replied earnestly. For the next few days, at least, he planned on catching up on rest but you never knew that the future held so he didn't actually count on getting it.

"See that you do," she said before turning to leave. "Good night Hank. Let me know if you need anything."

"Sleep well," Hank wished her knowing that he wouldn't call on her through the night, no matter if he needed something or not.

Once his door was closed, Hank leaned his head back and closed his eyes, allowing the past couple of days to wash over him. Admittedly, he felt a lot better after having told Divya everything. It felt good to know that someone else had his back and not just Evan. Not that Evan wasn't very good at that sort of thing because he was but he thought it might give his younger brother a much needed break as well as himself.

Evan. Hank felt back for keeping so much from his brother but he found he just couldn't bring himself to tarnish his father's name. God knows he'd spent all of his adult life trying to convince his brother that their father was no good, that he wasn't ever coming back, and trying to get him to see him for the man he was. But it was to no avail; Evan remained stubborn in his recollection and opinion of their father and it seemed nothing Hank said would change that. Still, he worried that one day he would push too far and the damage, whether it be the relationship between Evan and their father or Evan and himself, would be irreparable.

Hank knew that he'd probably throw a party if it was the relationship between his brother and his father that broke but he also knew it would break him if it was theirs and that wasn't a chance he was willing to take.

Resigning himself to keeping his mouth shut, Hank slowly allowed his thoughts to filter out of his head. His shoulder and ankle pulsed with pain with every heartbeat but thanks to exhaustion it was hard for him to concentrate on it. Instead he focused on never allowing Evan to lose that childish innocence and wonder he was known for because it was what made Evan who he is and Hank wouldn't change that for the world. If Evan found out about the incident between Eddie and Hank, the doctor would deal with it the same way he's always dealt with a problem – with his family. As long as he had Evan and Divya in his corner, Hank knew that he would be able to handle anything, even if Evan was the one that was mad at him.

Growing up, Hank had never felt that he really had a family. As soon as he was aware of himself as a boy and a person, things had turned for the worst and he'd grown up then and there. Now, though, he knew what it was like to have a family and he would protect it against whoever dared to challenge it.

No matter who it was that threatened them.

_~fin~_

* * *

><p><strong><em><em>And that's that folks! I hope you enjoyed the fic in spite of the long updates and potentially crappy ending. :) I'm currently trying to think of more plots for me to write so this definitely isn't my last RP fic. ;) We need more Hank whump out there :D If you happen to think of some plots, please PM me! I would be interested in hearing your ideas. **


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